1321.1 Sources of Verification

Documentary Evidence - Documentary evidence shall be used as the primary source of verification. Documentary evidence consists of a written confirmation of a household's circumstances. Examples are wage stubs, bank statements, utility bills, medical reimbursement statements, and, for Social Security numbers, such evidence as BENDEX printouts, Social Security cards, or any official document containing the Social Security number. Although documentary evidence shall be the primary source of verification, acceptable verification shall not be limited to any single type of document and may be obtained through the household or other sources. Alternate sources of verification, such as collateral contacts and/or home visits, shall be used whenever documentary evidence cannot be obtained. In addition, information received from a payer source interface (such as Social Security, Unemployment Compensation or KPERS) is considered documentary evidence. Also see 1322.4 .

Collateral Contacts - A collateral contact is a verbal confirmation of a household's circumstances made by a person outside of the household. The collateral contact may be made either in person, by mail or over the telephone. The acceptability of a collateral contact shall not be restricted to a particular individual but may be anyone who can be expected to give an accurate third-party verification of the household's statements. Examples of acceptable collateral contacts are employers, landlords, social service agencies, migrant service agencies, and neighbors of the household. When talking with collateral contacts, staff should disclose only the information that is necessary to get the information being sought. Staff should avoid disclosing that the household has applied for benefits, nor should they disclose any information supplied by the household, especially information that is protected per 1223 , or suggest that the household is suspected of wrongdoing. This applies to collateral contacts other than those where there is a need to share full information such as the Social Security Administration. See 1222 .

Home Visits - Failure of a client to cooperate with or consent to a scheduled or unscheduled home visit shall not directly affect eligibility, and no case shall be closed or denied because an applicant/ recipient refuses to grant admittance to his/her home or cooperate during a home visit. If a client refuses to cooperate with or consent to a home visit, a request for information shall be sent to the client. If the client fails to provide adequate verification as requested, then the case may be closed or the application denied, if that is the appropriate action based on the type of information that was not provided.

Discrepancies - Where information from another source contradicts statements made by the household, the household shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to resolve the discrepancy prior to an eligibility determination. Information needed to resolve the discrepancy shall be requested from the household, however, if the household fails to provide the necessary information, staff may elect to verify the information directly. Households are to be given 12 days to provide necessary verification. If the client does not or refuses to provide adequate verification to resolve the discrepancy, the case may then be closed, or the application denied if that is the appropriate case action.